Boat owners given earlier deadline to comply with safety rules

ALL passenger boats must have a licence from January 1, Marine Minister Dermot Ahern announced yesterday.

It was originally intended to bring the new regulations into force on June 6, 2003.

The minister’s decision to speed up the safety measures comes in the wake of the boating tragedy off the Co Wexford coast on July 28 when five anglers drowned and five of their colleagues were saved.

None of the 10 people on the Pisces, which went down off Fethard-on-Sea, was wearing a life jacket.

The tragedy happened even though the sea was calm and rescue boats were nearby and arrived on the scene quickly. The five rescued people had clung to plastic drums which the boat used as fenders.

Announcing that the regulations are coming into force six months earlier, Mr Ahern said: “This effectively means that from January next every boat carrying passengers for reward must have a licence and comply with statutory requirements laid down in legislation.

“Any person found operating illegally after this date will be subject to the full rigour of the law. The overall result will be a safer regime where the public have a right and expectation to know that the boat they are on complies with safety standards.”

The regulations governing the use of small boats on Irish waters are clear but uneven.

Under the Merchant Shipping Act 1992, any skipper taking fare-paying passengers is obliged to have a passenger boat licence. Such boats are inspected every two years and must be equipped with the necessary firefighting, life-saving and radio equipment. Operators found to be in breach of the regulations can be fined or jailed.

In 2000, boats used for angling, including sea angling within three miles of the coast, were brought within the definition of the Act.

However, then Marine Minister Frank Fahey granted an exemption to these boats for a year and renewed this exemption in 2001.

According to Maurice Mullen, director-general of the department’s newly established Marine Safety Directorate, the exemption was applied to give the hundreds of such small boats time to upgrade to the safety levels required.

Time was also needed for consultation with the sector.

In June, Mr Fahey introduced a comprehensive set of regulations governing safety for the different categories of boats found on Irish waters, from small rafts to larger passenger vessels. While the regulations vary according to the size of the boat, in general they require all sea-going boats to carry a life jacket for every passenger, and to provide a place on a life-raft for all on board.

Boat owners are required to post their certification on their vessels and to make it available to passengers.